The Pittsburgh Steelers pulled off an incredible feat with their first selection in the 2024 NFL Draft. They managed to get offensive tackle Troy Fautanu out of the University of Washington, who was predicted to go well within the top 15. Not only did they nab the third highest-rated tackle in the draft, but they also got one who is a lifelong Steelers fan, boasting fellow Samoan Troy Polamalu as his favorite childhood player.
Fautanu was not in the green room backstage in downtown Detroit with other hopeful players for the draft. Instead, he chose to watch at a draft party with his closest friends and family in Las Vegas, not far from his family's home in Henderson, NV. When the Steelers called Fautanu, you could see how emotional he was. He'd reportedly taken it personally that five other tackles had gone ahead of him earlier in the draft.
Now, Fautanu is experiencing this full-circle moment of going from a fan to a player on the team he loves. At his first press conference from the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex in Pittsburgh, he told the media how surreal it was to have some veteran players reach out to him as he caught a red-eye flight from the West Coast to arrive in Pittsburgh with his family Friday morning. He was asked by a reporter if he had a fan moment looking at the roster of who he would be playing with in Pittsburgh.
"For the little kid in me, man, I am still a fan of football. Sometimes, I still get star-struck seeing a lot of the guys that are around here. My 30 visit, I met Isaac Seumalo. You know, growing up watching a guy like that, he's talking to me, and he's saying he watched me play before. I'm like, 'What are you talking about?' That's not normal. Dan Moore hit me up, Russell Wilson called me on my flight here. Yeah, a lot of the guys hit me up. It's crazy to me still. I am just really excited to kind of learn from those guys because a lot of those guys have been in and around the league for a very long time. I am just trying to soak up as much knowledge as I can."
It is not surprising that Dan Moore and Russell Wilson were two of the players who reached out to their new teammate. Moore experienced this last season when the Steelers selected Broderick Jones, his apparent replacement, with their first pick. Now, with Fautanu coming on board, Moore's time in Pittsburgh seems to be winding down. Moore's incredible professionalism and team-first attitude is remarkable.
Wilson has also already been reaching out to players and getting to know them, despite being a new guy himself. His veteran status in the league has helped him earn some immediate respect, and he appears to be trying to put his best foot forward.
Steelers Have A Left Sided Decision To Make
As mentioned, the Steelers drafted a left tackle last season with Jones. Head Coach Mike Tomlin did not rush to start Jones, giving him time to learn from the sidelines. Unfortunately, the decision to bench Chukwuma Okorafor hastened that decision. With Moore not as effective on the right side, Jones was forced to go over there instead.
Fortunately, Jones is highly versatile and was able to adapt. But General Manager Omar Khan said the team intends to get Jones to the side he is meant to be on. Some wonder why they would take another left tackle when they already have Jones.
The answer isn't that they are moving him. Tomlin already said the plan is to use him as a tackle. Fautanu, like Jones, is highly adaptable and athletic. Fortunately, he is helped by having protected a left-handed quarterback at Washington. Usually, the left tackle spot is more difficult to protect because it is the quarterback's blind side unless that quarterback happens to be left-handed, like Michael Penix Jr. is. It is not as simple as just switching sides; there are changes in football and positioning, but it should be slightly easier than it was for Jones.
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